On the Hungarian bench, promises lead to proposals

When Jessye Danielle Marquez met Thomas William Patrick Wood, they both had juniors in high school and were out of the sea. They met at the 14th World Eskrima Kali Arnis Federation World Championship held in July 2014 in Debresen, Hungary.

“I see Tom casually practicing his shape,” said Marquez, who was on the American team and was dragged into Wood's British team practice by “Irish cheerful friend Chelsea.”

He quickly tricked and struck, a 25-inch escrimastic made of rattan, a traditional weapon in Philippine martial arts and also known as alnis and charistic.

“I was blown away,” Marquez said. Her friend immediately played the matchmaker and called Mr. Wood.

Both 26 people spoke narrowly that day, but the next day, Ms. Marquez stood by his ring during the fight.

“We went on the sidelines and started talking,” Marquez said.

Mr Wood, who attended All Boys School, was a little nervous around the girls. “I was playing fish and chips in English,” he said with a laugh. “She baked ham and cheese.”

When they chatted, they realized that they had at least one thing in common besides martial arts: New Jersey.

He said he lived in Short Hills, New Jersey until his family returned to the London area when he was four months old. Marquez, whose parents are from the Philippines, grew up in Union near New Jersey.

“I fantasize about you quite a bit,” Marquez recalled telling him. She was quite uplifted, replied, “I like you too.”

On the second day of the tournament, in full contact of Sparring, they were in each other's corners.

“We each had pep talk and hydrated water,” she said. They could only drink with straws while they were prepared in padded helmets in metal face cages.

Her father, strict when it came to boys, was the grandmaster of the event and a busy host, but he made sure the others were looking at her.

Each won gold medals in all three events: single stick full contact, double stick full contact, choreographed combat display.

During the closing dinner banquet they sat next to each other and he later built up the courage to ask him to go outside with him.

“He said he really liked me and he would miss me,” she said, and they kissed. The teammates found them holding their hands and cheered as they returned.

The next morning, the two escaped from the hotel at 6am before boarding a flight home. On the bench in the church's small square, they exchanged tearful goodbyes, kissing each other despite the distance and committed.

They have been in touch with Skype and, two weeks after they got home, officially announced the status of their relationship on Facebook.

In February 2015, Marquez joined her mother and two aunts on a trip to London. Wood carefully planned a tour of central London for just the two of them on Valentine's Day, and had dinner at an Italian restaurant.

“I walked all the places with my mother a week ago,” he said. Marquez also visited his family in Orpington, a suburb of London.

When he visited the US in April, her itinerary included Highline Park, Manhattan Serendipity, ice cream and warm brownies Serendipity, and New Jersey's Walmart, on his request.

At College on the Horizon in 2016 – he had always planned to go to one of the US – they decided to keep their choices and decisions independent of each other secret until they revealed Skype on a massive scale in May.

(Click here to read this week's featured couples.)

“We both say Rutgers,” she said, followed by a pleasant cry. Shortly after they arrived on campus, they naturally joined the Philippine martial arts club.

She graduated from Rutgers with a bachelor's degree, and his Magna Cam Loud received a bachelor's degree in genetics.

Wood, who currently conducts research at Columbia University Medical Center, is pursuing a doctorate in genetics and development in Columbia. He also received a Masters in Genetics and Development and a Masters in Philosophy from Colombia.

In July 2021, Marquez, a behavioral health nurse at Harlem Hospital in Manhattan, moved to an apartment near the medical center. A year later, they adopted Miss Breezy, a grey and brown tabby cat.

Two years later, in July 2023, Wood planned a mystery trip to Europe, suggesting it on the bench of Debresen, who had committed to each other nine years ago.

“On this bench, I want to commit to you again,” he said.

On February 23, the pair were married at the palace at Somerset Park in Somerset, a universal life, and coached Rutgers Philippines' martial arts team, which will preside over 163 guests.

At the reception, after the maid of honor handed the bride the stick of Escrima, the best man gave the groom another dance. It started slowly.

Guests performed freestyle tricks using Escrima at Warp Speed, cheering round and kissing like a baton.

“This brought us together,” Marquez said, “We wanted to share it with people who love it.”